Hull Kingston Rovers Enhancing Attendance Experience With New Fan Zone And Temporary 3,000-Seat Stand

Super League club Hull Kingston Rovers, are planning to maximise fan attendance at their Hull College Craven Park. This will take the form of a temporary 3,000-seat stand whilst also having plans for a new fan zone that will seek to transform the match-day experience.

Rovers’ stadium currently has a capacity of around 12,000 and the new temporary South Stand will be set up to allow as many members to attend as possible while fan restrictions remain in place.

The team have invested a ‘significant sum’ in the temporary stand, which will be hired for a two month period. The additional capacity will enable Rovers to accommodate fans on all four sides of the stadium, with better facilities to be provided for those who cannot watch from their preferred spot.

March 26 sees the start of The Super League and matches will initially be held behind closed doors but from May 17 fans are set to return when up to 10,000 people or 25% seated capacity, whichever is lower, will be permitted at outdoor venues.

Rovers chief executive, Paul Lakin, said that Hull College Craven Park stadium capacity would be below 3,000 without the temporary stand, making it difficult for the club to distribute tickets fairly. The stand will ensure the majority of fans who renewed their membership by the first priority window can attend matches.

Mr Lakin went on to say: “Financially this is a big commitment for us, but our thinking has always been with supporters at the forefront of our mind, particularly our loyal members. We are determined to grow this great club but our concentration in the last year has been initially survival, and now we are focusing on stability.

“By investing in the stand, we can enjoy the club together as one from as early as possible, however, to do so we will not also be able to offer refunds for games missed when the season first kicks off. Quite simply we can’t afford to do both.”

The temporary stand will remain in place for Rovers’ games against St Helens and cross-city rivals Hull FC in July. The stand is still subject to a successful planning application and approval from the Safety Advisory Group, but the club are confident this ambitious project will be given the ‘go ahead’.

The club has also announced a new project entitled Craven Streat, which will look to transform the area around Hull College Craven Park on match days.

The concept will include live stage entertainment, a marquee with bars, local independent Craven Streat food and a big screen. It is hoped the space can create a relaxed festival atmosphere for fans to meet before the game.

The village takes its inspiration from the name of Rovers’ first-ever East Hull-based stadium, Craven Streat. Paul Lakin said that the club had been working on the project for some time, with the intention of launching it as soon as COVID-19 restrictions can be lifted. As in North America pre-match carnival atmospheres are commonplace, the club feel like they are offering something not only unique to the region in terms of a pitch-side event space, but to Super League as a whole.

The club are confident they can create a real family-friendly party atmosphere around the stadium where fans want to spend the whole day. Its expected to provide so many opportunities to focus efforts into creating one special area with lots going on and a variety of quality choice foods on offer rather than the usual burger and pie.

Five home games in 2021 will provide an opportunity to really test the concept, with a view to growing it to become an even bigger event over time. It is hoped this festival atmosphere around match days will provide a big draw attracting new fans to the stadium in the medium to long term and hopefully the space will provide a unique backdrop for a whole array of non-matchday opportunities.

The temporary South Stand will be removed when Craven Streat opens for Rovers’ game against the Warrington Wolves in July when the space will be available for private bookings/special events, and local independent food vendors have been invited to take part in the experience.